Have you ever been enveloped by a cloud? Watched it move in towards you and then suddenly be completely surrounded? It’s an eerie experience. Exciting, a tiny bit frightful, and often times very relaxing.
In the Bible, we read a lot about God appearing as a cloud. Even in the New Testament, but especially in the Old Testament to Moses and the children of Israel. One part of scripture that I would like to focus on is Exodus 24:15-18:
15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.16 Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17 The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Several months ago I went to pick up my son from school. It is right on the ridge of the mountain and often times it will be bright and sunny at our home only a few minutes away, but his school will be, literally, in a cloud. As I sat in the parking lot waiting for the bell to ring and the kids to be released I watched as the clouds approached the mountain. It was bright and sunny, and here came these clouds just bustling right up. Within about a minute, it was dense and the windows were wet. The wind picked up and I could see the fog blowing where the wind willed it. Before long I couldn’t see much of anything and all I could think of was Moses. Was this what it was like in the presence of The Almighty?
A few days later, it was a slightly different story. The fog was covering most of the mountain this day but was still much thicker at the school. In fact, I couldn’t even see the lights on the tops of the school buses that I had noticed as I pulled in behind them into the parking lot. I carefully found a parking space and realized that I could not even see a car that I had just passed a few spaces down. It took a moment to get a grip on my surroundings and not panic about not being able to see! I’m not usually very claustrophobic, but it hits me once in a while and this was one of those times… especially when it dawned on me that I was in a crowded parking lot with the edge of a cliff on the other side of the highway and most of these cars were going to have teenage drivers in them in a matter of minutes! However, I thought again of the presence of the Father and felt such a peace. I began to cry and ask God, “Can we just do this all the time? Like, even when there isn’t a dense fog? Can I just feel your tangible presence like this wherever I go no matter the circumstances? Because I know You’re there, and I know that You are able. I just want to sense You more than I already do! What I have is not enough, I need more of You!”
This photo was taken another day but was pretty similar. If you look REALLY closely you can see the outline of the school buses.
As I sat in my truck that day, I noticed a few things about being enveloped in the midst of a cloud…
- I couldn’t see. That meant I couldn’t see what was coming towards me or even a foot in front of me! However, if a predator were seeking me, they would not be able to see me either…
When I am in the presence of my Father, I am protected. Satan and his minions may wish to harm me, but the closer I am to my Savior, the easier the blow… if it even comes close.
- I could actually feel the cloud. No, I could not pick it up. But my breath was heavier and my skin was damp. Even my eyes had more moisture. The temperature dropped and there was a sudden chill.
As the Lord moves in, I sense His presence in many ways, spiritually and physically. The air may seem different, and I may get “God bumps” or feel a sudden rush of adrenaline. My emotions change and I can feel His love all around me, much like jumping into a swimming pool and being surrounded by water… which I know, is pretty much what being in a cloud is… bear with me, I’m blonde and making points can get a little tricky. 😉
- Again, I couldn’t see. I was unable to tell when my son walked out of the school to edge closer to the entrance. I didn’t have to worry about my bad hair day being observed by a parent in a nearby car. In fact, at this point, I was crying and worshiping my King and had no concern about anyone thinking what was going on with this crazy lady with the wild hair. I was isolated in the cloud.
When I am alone in God’s presence and shut out the world, nothing but Him matters. The state of the nation and the drama going on over to that side while the chaos on the other is out of my mind (unless those are things I am praying for in that exact moment) and it is just the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and myself. Even in corporate worship settings, this occurs. I’m sure it is the same for you, and I’m hoping this is not coming across as boastful but to make a point…
…And the point is that I wanted all of those things all of the time. Not just when I was able to stop and clear my head. I wanted it ALL of the time so intensely that should something come up and upset me, my focus was still on Him and my countenance left unaffected. I wanted my emotions to be so even with what God wills for them to be that while a circumstance may shift them slightly to the left or right, that they were quickly centered on Him. Like when you are riding a bike and almost fall but quickly line the wheels back up and have that moment of relief and think, “whew, okay, I’m alright.” Just like that.
Then it popped into my head… old cartoons where the characters would be flying or fall off a cliff and keep going, but there were pieces of cloud with them… Jesus is always with me! I mean, duh, He’s in my heart, but keep hanging with me for a second. If my mind and focus stay on Him and Him alone and I don’t let something else take my attention… Much like DRIVING in a cloud of deep fog, (oh boy…) keeping my eyes only on the lines that guide the highway and not straight ahead, not becoming distracted by a car that is coming towards me for even a split second, my eyes on those lines, there is nothing to fear. If my eyes stay on those guidelines, I will not become blinded by the brightness.
Living in the forest where there are bears and mountain lions among various other animals that I was sure had not entered hibernation yet, I wondered what if my driving is distracted? What if I encounter one unexpectedly as I walk from my truck to our cabin? How can I keep the animals of life from luring me out of the cloud of God’s presence in day to day life? I was smacked in the face with such a wonderful lesson that required me to change EVERYTHING about my life… and it worked! I’ll share more of this in the next post…
Have you had a similar experience to this one? Are you wanting a deeper relationship with God that is at all times and not just when you are able to sit in silence? Have you been praying for a more God-centered life? Maybe you are like me and feel close to God, but just feel like there is more and He is drawing you closer. I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to post a comment, send me an email, or join one of our Facebook groups and tell me all about it!
